The Iron Islands
The Iron Islands is one of the constituent regions of the Kingdom of Winter. Until Aegon's Conquest, it was ruled by the Kings of the Iron Islands and then briefly the Kings of the Isles and the Rivers. After the war of the War of the Seven Kings, it became a part of the Kingdom of Winter. The Iron Islands are home to a fierce seafaring people who call themselves the ironborn. While some say the archipelago is named after the abundant iron ore on the islands, the ironmen claim it is instead named after their own unyielding nature. It is often said that every captain is a king aboard his own ship, so the islands are also called "the land of ten thousand kings". The Iron Islands are ruled by the Lord of House Greyjoy. Bastards of noble origin from the Iron Islands receive the surname Pyke. Geography The Iron Islands is an archipelago in Ironman's Bay, located in the Sunset Sea off the western coast of Westeros. They are roughly west of the Riverlands, northwest of the Westerlands, and south of the north. The main grouping of islands numbers thirty-one, with the seven major isles being Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde, and Orkmont. Eight days sail northwest of Great Wyk is a smaller grouping of thirteen clustered around the Lonely Light. Some of the Iron Islands are used for sheep grazing or are uninhabited. The islands are ruled from Pyke, the seat of House Greyjoy on the island of the same name. The Iron Islands are the smallest of the regions of the Westeros. They are made of small, barely-fertile rocks with few safe harbors. The seas around the isles are stormy, frequently wreaking havoc with their considerable force. History According to legend, the islands were ruled by the Grey King during the Age of Heroes. For much of their history, each island was its own kingdom and had its own kings, a rock king who ruled the land and a salt king who commanded at sea. These petty kings constantly fought with each other and raided the First Men of mainland Westeros for timber, crops, and thralls. The islands were first unified when a powerful priest of the Drowned God, Galon Whitestaff, decreed it was sinful for ironborn to make war upon other ironborn. The other priests preached his word throughout the isles, until the various kings and longship captains convened on Old Wyk at Nagga's Bones for the first kingsmoot, to select one High King of the Iron Islands to rule over all. Galon decreed the title was not hereditary, but upon the death of each High King, a new kingsmoot would be convened to elect another. The new high kings were also called driftwood kings because of their crowns of driftwood. This lead to a Greyiron-dynasty and after that a Hoare-dynasty. In Aegon's Conquest, House Hoare lost against the Targaryens in Aegon's Conquest. Afterwards, Aegon I. Targaryen let the Ironborn Captains choose their new leader Vickon Greyjoy and with him House Greyjoy as their leader. The Greyjoys lead several rebellions against the Iron Throne, yet lost all of them. The last of these rebellions was in the War of the Seven Kings, in which Balon Greyjoy began the rebellion. Theon Greyjoy, who had the opportunity to betray Robb Stark, stayed loyal to his king and helped the newly crowned first King of Winter win the war. Victarion Greyjoy died in the Battle for Moat Cailin, Balon Greyjoy presumably died falling down a bridge and Euron Greyjoy died in a sea battle near the shield isles. Lord Theon Greyjoy was wed to Sansa Stark after the ending of the war of the seven kings. As Lord of the iron islands he brought the Green Ways to the ironborn. Their firstborn son was called Aeron. In the year 332AC, Theon Greyjoy deceased. Now, 73 years after the ending of the War of the Seven Kings, in the year 374, the Lord of House Greyjoy sits upon his deathbed. His heir, Quentyn Greyjoy, is a faithful believer in the Green Ways, that Theon Greyjoy began, while Quentyn's younger brother, Vickon Greyjoy, believes in the Old Ways. And with them, the iron islands themselves are divided into those who believe in the Green Ways and those who believe in the Old Ways. The Green Ways Those who believe in the Green Ways, know that rebellion will bring nothing but damnation to the Isles and that The Green Way will bring them prosperity and preservation through the years. Lord Theon Greyjoy was the first who brought the controversial Green Ways to the iron islands. Wars and Battles Along with countless reavings and raidings, here is a list of Wars and Battles the Iron Islands have taken part in. The Greyjoy Rebellion (289AC) Balon declared himself King of the Iron Islands in a bid for independence from the Iron Throne.22 Greyjoy's Rebellion had some early victories, destroying the Lannister fleet at anchor and raiding the western coasts, but Balon had misjudged Robert's position. The mainland rallied their support for Robert, and the Iron Islands were invaded by the king, his brother Lord Stannis, Lord Eddard Stark, Lord Tywin Lannister, and Ser Barristan Selmy.22 Balon lost his two eldest sons in the war, and though Robert pardoned the would-be king in return for bending the knee, Balon's surviving son, Theon, was sent to Winterfell to be the ward and hostage of Lord Stark. The War of the Seven Kings (298AC-301AC) As the War of the Seven Kings began, Robb I. Stark, the first King of Winter, sent Theon Greyjoy to the iron islands, to get their support. Yet instead, Theon finds out that Balon Greyjoy is planning to sail against the Starks. Therefore, Theon sent word to Robb Stark that the Ironborn would sail against him. Theon then fled the Iron Islands. Robb marched to Moat Cailin, only to find the fort occupied by Victarion Greyjoy. Robb ordered his men to attack and assault the fort from the south. It would have been suicide if not for Howland Reed and the cranogmen attacking from the North and getting Robb’s men inside the fort via a secret tunnel. Victarion was killed in the fighting. Robb and the Mallisters then engage an Ironborn fleet at sea. They win, pushing back the second wave of invaders. After the death of Balon Greyjoy, Theon determined that a Kingsmoot would be called. At Robb’s encouragement and order, Theon mustered courage and returned to the Iron Islands to claim the Seastone Chair. Theon won the Kingsmoot by a narrow margin, but his Nuncle Euron and his supporters had absconded. They were sailing towards the Reach to reave. Theon and the loyalists were pursuing. Robb ordered the Vale Fleet and his newly constructed Northern Fleet to sail around Westeros. He also ordered the Mallister fleet to link up with Theon’s Iron Fleet to stop Euron. Theon and Mallister then caught Euron off the Shields. After a brief engagement, Euron’s fleet sailed on victorious, having savaged the Shields. Theon regrouped and chased Euron to the Redwyne Straits. During this skirmish, Robb and his fleet arrived, a move Euron has not anticipated. Euron’s rogue fleet was dashed as Robb and Theon descended upon him from either side, winning the day. The Little War (331AC-332AC) After Robb I. Stark had basically lost the Little War, losing a lot of money as well as people to the Iron Bank, he ordered Aeron Greyjoy, son of his recently deceased friend and vassal Theon Greyjoy, to take his fleet and reave the summer isles for loot and profit in order to funnel the funds into the payments now owed to the Ironbank. Reaving the Summer Isles (332-340AC) Ironborn Raiders continued to arrive at in the Summer Isles, commanded to reave the paradise to pay the debt owed to the Iron Bank by the King of Winter. Walano, the Isle of Birds, the Singing Stones and Koj were the worst hit, but all the isles felt the wounds left by the Ironborn. In 340AC, Steffarion Sparr, who had declared himself King of Lotus Port, was expelled from the Summer Isles by the combined efforts of the Zhaqu, Raaso and Zoq families. The Ironborn scourge of the isles came to an official end. The First War of Reclamation (340AC-342AC) Lead by Lord Aeron Greyjoy, the fleet was returning from conquest and plunder in the Summer Isles. The fleet was scheduled to moor at Gulltown to offload goods before sailing home with timber for fleet production. To do this they would have to pass through the Stepstones. Upon arrival, they were taken as a raiding party and attacked by the Lords of the Stepstones, sworn to House Baratheon. The Iron Fleet took heavy losses and Aeron himself was killed. His young son Harras rallied the fleet into a retreat and arrived at Gulltown. The Northern fleet sailed for The Stepstones to pay violence back with violence. Captained by Aeron’s young son Harras Greyjoy and Jon Stark, brother of King Eddard. They descended upon the rocks with an army of Reavers and Northern soldiers. The duo was brutal, ravaging and raping the islands. Their troops ravaged Bloodstone taking the island within a week of landing. They burned, looted, and raped. They took hostages of pseudo-nobles living on the islands. They carted all their goods off the islands and away on ships. For Jon and Harras a final prize was in mind however, as they moved towards the town occupied by the King’s brother. House Baratheon of Bloodstone was the fleeting house, only consisting of The Lord, Courtnay Baratheon and his young son, along with his Lyseni Noble Wife. Jon and Harras lead a raiding party nearly one thousand strong, descending upon the still forming city. Lord Courtnay and his family were slaughtered, his wife raped and his son drowned. They pushed on, in a brutal island hopping campaign. However, the further they got into the campaign, the more resistance they faced. Soon their blitz slowed to a crawl, as the raiders became bogged down by reinforcements from the Dornish and Redwynes. With Jon Stark's death, Harras ordered his ships to return to the Iron Islands, especially when news of a Westerlands assault on the islands came. Up upon the Iron Islands surged warships dressed in Lannister gold. The soldiers of the Westerlands arrived in force and the Ironborn were near helpless as Blacktyde, Harlaw, and Great Wyk were sacked. Several towns and villages were set ablaze as the Westerlands. Lord Lannister himself personally seeing the execution of Lords Harlaw, Blacktyde, and Saltcliffe. The West departed the Iron Islands after three weeks, leaving the isles as they often left the Greenlands. Scarred, vulnerable, and traumatized. Word of this reached Winterfell from Lord Greyjoy’s Nuncle. Mallister’s fleet sailed for the Iron Islands a week later with supplies to support the brutalized Isles. Nuncle Greyjoy rallieds the surviving Ironborn and combineds their fleet with Mallister’s swearing revenge against the West. The Second War of Reclamation (370AC-372AC) ... Houses Sworn to House Greyjoy The principle noble houses of the Iron Islands are: * House Blacktyde of Blacktyde ** House Shepherd of The Flock * House Drumm of Old Wyk ** House Goodbrother of Shatterstone ** House Stonehouse of Stonehouse * House Farwynd of Sealskin Point ** House Farwynd of Lonely Light ** House Goodbrother of Crow Spike Keep * House Goodbrother of Hammerhorn ** House Goodbrother of Downdelving ** House Goodbrother of Corpse Lake * House Harlaw of Ten Towers ** House Harlaw of Grey Garden ** House Harlaw of Harlaw Hill ** House Harlaw of Harridan Hill ** House Harlaw of the Tower of Glimmering ** House Kenning of Kayce Tower ** House Myre of Hangman's Keep ** House Stonetree of Coldtree ** House Volmark of Volmark * House Merlyn of Pebbleton ** House Sparr of The Spiral * House Orkwood of Orkmont ** House Humble of Grey Shore ** House Goodbrother of Orkmont * House Saltcliffe of Saltcliffe ** House Ironmaker of The Chains * House Sunderly of Sunder Keep ** House Weaver of the Loom * House Tawney of Nettlebank Bay ** House Sharp of Spike Tower * House Wynch of Iron Holt ** House Codd of Fisherman's Rest The minor houses under House Greyjoy's direct sphere of influence are: * House Botley of Lordsport * House Netley of The Nettles